TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University men's basketball team continues to shine on and off the court.
In addition to winning 20 games for the third time in the last four years and second straight season, the Tigers ranked first nationally in Division I men's team sports for their community service activities in the 2017 NCAA Team Works Helper Helper Community Service Competition.
Behind Towson basketball and rounding out the top five men's programs nationally were Montana State track and field, Boston College sailing, Monmouth soccer, and Towson lacrosse.
"This is terrific for our program and University," Towson men's basketball head coach
Pat Skerry said. "Community service is one of the core values of our program. I am grateful for my dedicated staff that emphasizes the importance to our players of serving others and giving back. However, this accolade wouldn't be possible without the hard work of (men's basketball director of student-athlete development)
Parfait Bitee and (assistant athletic director for the Total Tiger Program)
Antwaine Smith. They do tremendous work in arranging community service opportunities for our program and making sure our guys are present and engaged."
Moreover, community service is a way of life and one of the strategic themes of the Towson athletics department. The Tigers basketball team showcased their commitment in being leaders in campus engagement and community service.
Many of the community outreach efforts are part of Towson's Total Tiger program, which takes a 360-degree view of the development of Tiger student-athletes. The goal is to educate, advocate, mentor and serve. The program gives Towson student-athletes opportunities to engage and interact with the Greater Baltimore area through community service and mentorships.
As a department, Towson was sixth overall nationally in the Helper Helper competition.
Throughout the past year, the Tigers impacted the lives of others and made a difference in the community by participating in several outreach projects. Among them were hosting an autism clinic featuring several individuals from the Hussman Center for Adults on the campus of Towson University, speaking to fifth graders at Cromwell Valley Elementary School, conducting a memorable youth clinic at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in advance of Military Appreciation Day presented by New Day.
"It was very cool," freshman
Justin Gorham said after the APG experience. "I enjoyed having the opportunity of giving back to the kids who have dreams of becoming college basketball players one day. At some point when we were younger, we wanted this opportunity to meet college basketball players. It was good telling them how to reach their lifelong dreams and how they can be successful."
Earlier this season, Towson also adopted
a kid as a member of its program through the Team Up For 1 Foundation, spoke with a member of the Baltimore County Police Department in an effort to gain clarity and foster better relationships with law enforcement, and hosted middle school kids from the SAFE Alternative program.
NCAA Team Works, which coordinates community service efforts at NCAA championships, and Helper Helper, a volunteer management and tracking platform, launched the community service competition to recognize student-athletes who give back to their communities. The competition ran from January through March. The winning schools were determined based on the amount of service hours completed and the participation of student-athletes.
"Connecting student-athletes and member schools to their communities highlights the impact of leadership, collaboration and dedication in college sports and cities across the country," said Victor Hill, NCAA associate director of championships and community programs. "NCAA Team Works is proud to recognize the difference student-athletes make beyond the classroom and competition, while also supporting the student-athlete experience, their well-being and their successes through service projects and community engagement."
